Great team and great value. Rudy kept me updated throughout the whole process and was completely transparent and honest. Will always take my cars here from now on. read more

I had a water coolant leak under my dash. Since I live in Santa Barbara I don't need a heater. So to fix the problem I just needed a bypass from my heating system inside the passenger side of the car. They were honest and reasonable. Total cost was very reasonable. I like these guys. read more

Econo Auto Center - Auto Repair Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Thank you for helping me and my diesel truck get approved for smog test that was complicated.

I never leave reviews but Rudy is the only mechanic I trust in Santa Barbara/Goleta. I've been to others that try to sneakily charge for unnecessary things, seemingly trying to take advantage of the older leaning population in the city. But not Rudy, Econo has been honest, affordable, reliable, & accommodating from the jump. read more

I started taking my car to Econo Car a few years ago and have never looked back. Rudy is friendly, knowledgeable and the prices are very reasonable. I also appreciate the quick service; I can usually bring my car in the day after I call - no long waits. I am happy to highly recommend this local business. read more

Rudy is the best! Super honest and knows what he's talking about! Definitely recommend him. He does not try to rip you off like other mechanics. He's honest and very knowledgeable! read more

I hate to lave a poor review, but my experiences with this business has been terrible. I tried to see if the issue would resolve itself, but it hasn't. In early August, I brought my car there for an oil change and to have the front set of brakes replaced on my 2014 Toyota Highlander, assuming that this would be a straightforward. When I picked my car up the brakes were extremely squeaky. I called and spoke to Rudy who told me to bring it back on Monday if they're still squeaking. I brought them back, and the older owner of the shop was kind of dismissive and just kept asking me when I want to bring it back, zero acknowledgment of the inconvenience. I had to rearrange my entire week to fit this 2nd appointment in. I went back to get my bar, hopped on the freeway and headed back down to Ventura County. When I pulled into my garage...squeaking still. I tried to drive the car a bit more, as I know that sometimes there may be a slight squeak when you initially replace the breaks. Here we are, mid October, and the breaks are still squeaking anytime I am coming to a stop. It's loud, embarrassing, and obviously not what I paid for. Everywhere I show up, heads turn at the sound of my car. The timing of this repair was strategic, as I has to save money to get this done, and I would be a fool to trust them to look at my car again when they've let me down twice. Just a really disappointing experience and waste of money and time, and I'm so upset that I'll have to find and pay another person to do my breaks a 3rd time. read more

Driving south on a pleasure trip this past week from the Bay Area I broke down near Solvang, a terrible banging coming from my front axle. Had the car towed to Santa Barbara where I was going anyway, already had a room booked, and left it near a garage with a decent rating (it was Sunday afternoon and garage was closed), then walked back the next morning from motel to have garage diagnose my problem. That garage, which was not busy, fairly empty, wanted $168 just to tell me what was wrong, and I balked at that, deciding to limp the car across town to this place about which I had subsequently read the great reviews found on this Yelp page. Rudy (Jr.) wasn't around, and the lot was crammed with cars (a good sign, in a way, like a crowded restaurant), but the gentleman I left my keys with said they'd still get it looked at by noon the next day, and did not mention a fee for that. I then heard from them way before that very day was even out to let me know that the repair was fairly minor, and would be completed by 2:00 the next day, which it was and for only 50% more than the other garage wanted to just to diagnose the problem. Going to get the car then, Rudy (Diaz) was there, and I asked him where a tourist with a half day to spend that now had a car ought go in SB for Mexican food and sightseeing, and he gave me several recommendations, and was really friendly and normal. They knew I was an out-of towner, so my guess is that there's no way this place ever rips anyone off or gouges them, and the car rode well all the way back north, so they are likewise competent, as well as fair and honest. No-brainer thumbs-up pick. read more

Rudy is great! He's like the brother you want on your side when you're trying to figure out what's wrong with your car.

Someone recommended this shop to me years ago, and I've never stopped using them. I like the way Rudy breaks down what needs to be fixed now and what will need to eventually get fixed. Honest guy and totally trust him. read more

I have a 2001 Mercedes 240C. For the the past 10 years, my car has been having non-stop glitches, such as brake lights coming on, washer fluid not working, no air conditioning, rough ride, etc... Several mechanics told me that these are just glitches, but that there is nothing really wrong with the car, and that it would be too expensive to fix such an old car. So I lived with all the problems for that long. Until I found Rudy at Econo Auto Repair on De La Vina. Friends had highly recommended him. Rudy told me that rats had been in my car and chewed up plastic tubes, and other things, the brakes definitely had been worn out, and that I was in dire need of a tune up. When I picked up my car today, I could not believe how well it drove, the blinking lights were not on, air conditioning was working, and it was the smoothest ride I have had in years! In addition, the price was very reasonable, considering I was able to finally drive my car, knowing it is not going to fall apart any minute! Rudy is a master mechanic and a super nice person on top of it! 20 stars! read more

My Mom told me about Econo Auto so I took my truck in with brake issues, they where able to troubleshoot and get the issue resolved within the next day. Great Service and honestly really good prices. Rudy is very nice and all of the mechanics are friendly also. I would highly recommend this is as your next mechanic. read more

The service is excellent. I highly recommend them. Rudy did a another great job for me. My 1999 Dodge pickup runs like it's brand new!

Rudy was super helpful and handled what was initially a very stressful auto repair experience for me very delicately and with the care and patience I needed. I will definitely return the next time I have an unexpected auto emergency! read more

This was my first time going to a mechanic that wasn't associated with a tire shop, dealership, or family member and wow I'm impressed! Amazing and friendly communication, pricing lower than other quotes I had gotten and very quick turn around to fix my truck! I'll be back... hopefully not soon but if I ever have auto troubles again this will be my new shop of choice! read more

It is just CRAZY how nice and helpful Rudy and his team are. And I can't say they were expensive because they charged me ZERO. I don't think you can be more reasonable than NO CHARGE. I know that the Ford dealer would have charged me a lot to analyze the problem. Plus at the dealers you have to make an appointment etc. The problem was that the electrical system was going crazy. The emergency blinkers wouldn't go off, the inside head lights would not turn off and the (false) notification about my gas cap being broken stayed on. But Rudy kept the car for two days and dried out the part that was causing the problem. And said no charge. NUTS right??? read more

I had heard good things about Econo Auto Center so i decided to check it out after we were not happy with the dealer anymore. Rudy was able to find a belt that was broken and needed fixing, something i was worried about and the dealer couldn't find. They are really honest and give a fair price, I highly recommend them! read more

Rudy and team are awesome, we moved from out of state and just happened to come across Econo Auto Center and read great reviews. I have some mechanical experience but not the time nor facility to do bigger jobs. Rudy and the guys know their stuff and will save you time and money on every job. We have a family of cars and they are life savers. Honest, fair priced, experts and trustworthy. Not many shops fall into those categories these days. The best in Santa Barbara! read more

Rudy was straightforward and offered a competitive price, fixed my car's axle, engine block, and also noticed what was making the weird shaking noise with the car. Gave me advice on how to fix it and turned out to be true. Definitely going to bring my car back next time a problem comes up. read more

I have to concur with all the other reviews. Rudy is so straightforward and fair. Don't be put off by the fact that it is kinda hard to stop on that corner and all the cars piled around. They are very professional and courteous and fair! This is hard to find in a profession that is known to take advantage of those of us who don't know! 5 stars from me! read more

I was passing through Santa Barbara this morning to get gas and I catastrophically scraped my oil pan on a bump. All of the oil leaked out of my car. A local recommended Rudy's shop to me and so I got towed there. Finding a specific part for a car is not always quick and easy but Rudy got me a part within the hour and immediately started working on it. Fair price, decent work, nice people. All with no appointment. He seems to have very loyal customers as all of the people I met told me that I was in good hands. I'm on my way to the Bay Area as I type this. These guys really saved the day! Thanks again Econo Auto :) read more

Small and friendly auto repair shop. These guys fixed problems on my cars when the bigger shops, using their computer diagnostics tools, could not find problem. Well, the other guys found problems; but they were the wrong problems. You have to use your eyes, too, in auto repairs. These guys do. They also have the computer diagnostic systems. read more

Hands down one of the best and most honest mechanics in town. Rudy will always help you troubleshoot your problem and get you back on the road as fast as possible. For simple fixes he gives advice on doing it yourself and is extremely fair on pricing. I always recommend him to anyone needing a good mechanic. If you care about your car and your wallet, this is the spot! read more

A family owned and run business, they are helpful and know their stuff. We have been going to them for over a decade. They always fix our auto problems and service our vehicles. read more

After a lovely 2 days spent in the Goleta area for a job interview, my husband and I started our drive back home to LA early on Saturday morning. Not long after we hit the freeway our 2009 MazdaSpeed3 started sputtering and eventually the check engine light came on. We decided to exit the freeway and find the nearest repair shop that we could find that might be open. After a quick search on Yelp we found Econo Auto Center. Rudy the owner was very friendly and upon hearing that we were a bit far from home, got to work diagnosing the issue and searching high and low for a necessary part for our very specific model of Mazda. Much to our surprise he was able to find the last available part in the area and made the necessary repairs within his estimated time frame of 3 hours. The price he quoted us was very fair, considering the time crunch and how crazy busy his shop was at the time (not to mention he was one of the only shops open on Saturday). We were very impressed with his service and would recommend him to anyone in the area who might be looking for a good honest mechanic. Thanks Rudy, for saving the day! read more

I chose Econo Auto Center based on other Yelp reviews and they were spot on. Rudy is terrific! Easy to work with, totally accommodating and genuinely friendly. Econo Auto Center is now my go to spot for taking care of my car. read more

Rudy at Econo auto is the best! He has fixed my rascal of a Honda Civic many times. Fair prices, always gets me an appointment quickly, an honest mechanic -- excellent quality of work by his team. The best in town. read more

Great Experience all-round. Rudy is great and really explained what needed to be done and why. Even when I didnt arrive when i said i would, he still took care of me asap. I will definitely get my car fixed there again. I feel like they are a trustworthy place! read more

Best in town! Rudy is amazing to work with and super reliable.

I've been going here for years now, and Rudy and family are the best! They have amazing integrity and go out of their way to fix any problem at a price in your budget, even going to auto salvage yards for obtaining older, hard to find parts. They treat women with respect and don't talk down to them when explaining the repairs needed. They've fixed problems that no one else could find, and don't try to push you into fixing things just to make extra money like some of these in-and-out oil and lube places. I wouldn't go anywhere else. I refer everyone I know to them! read more